TRAIKOS: Playoff experience would be a bonus for Canadiens rookie Jesperi Kotkaniemi

TORONTO — Claude Julien was talking about Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and how the Montreal Canadiens rookie has become stronger and more comfortable as the season has gone on, when a Finnish reporter followed up by asking what’s the next step for the 18-year-old.

Julien laughed.

“The next step?” asked the Canadiens head coach. “Giving him an opportunity to play in the playoffs. That’s the next step.”

It’s a step that most of the other top rookies in the league have a chance at taking.

The main difference between Kotkaniemi, who was the No. 3 overall pick in 2018, and the other three players who jumped from the draft into the NHL — Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin, Carolina’s Andrei Svechnikov and Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk — is that as of Saturday morning only Montreal was holding down a playoff spot.

And to think, a year ago the Canadiens had the fourth-worst record in the NHL. Heading into Saturday night’s game against the Maple Leafs, they were ranked seventh in the conference, just three points back of Toronto.

At the same time, Montreal was only three points ahead of ninth-place Carolina.

In other words, being in this position may have been unexpected. But now that the Canadiens are this close, there is pressure to see it through, which could mean the team, which recently acquired Nate Thompson and Dale Weise for depth up front, adds another insurance piece before Monday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline.

Then again, based on how Kotkaniemi has come on of late — he has scored five of his 11 goals in February — maybe you don’t have to.

With 30 points in his first 61 games, Kotkaniemi’s rookie numbers are impressive for a teenager, but it likely won’t be enough to steal the Calder Trophy away from Vancouver rookie Elias Pettersson. He probably won’t even be a finalist. And yet, unlike Pettersson, whose Canucks were in 12th-place in the West heading into Saturday night’s game, the Canadiens rookie has a chance to make a bigger name for himself when it matters the most: the post-season.

“As an 18-year-old, he’s actually gotten really stronger,” said Julien. “He knows the league a lot better. He’s more comfortable and less intimidated … I think right now, he knows he can play in this league and be a good player. The only thing right now is to continue to gain some experience.”

Experience that could come for him in mid-April.

DOMI EMBRACES SPOTLIGHT

Some players can’t handle the spotlight. Max Domi is the opposite. He felt lost in the shadows.

It wasn’t until he arrived in Montreal in a trade from Arizona last summer when the 23-year-old blossomed into a top-line centre, who has already set a career high with 20 goals and 53 points in 61 games.

And he’s not alone.

Tomas Tatar, who was traded from Vegas to Montreal in the off-season, is also on pace for a career-best 61 points.

“You look at Max and his stats right now and they’re the best they’ve been in a long time,” said Julien. “Even Tomas is having a great year, he’s got 20-plus goals.”

“I can’t really put my finger on it,” said Domi. “Me and (Tatar) have talked about it a lot, how much we love playing in Montreal, it’s a special place to play. It’s a special city. It’s all hockey. We enjoy it. It’s a big stage, obviously. Watching him succeed this year has been fun.”

At this time a year ago, Tatar was traded from the Red Wings to the Golden Knights, where he spent a majority of the playoffs as a healthy scratch. But despite the lack of playing time — he appeared in only eight games, scoring a goal and an assist — Tatar has fond memories of a playoff run that led to a first-ever appearance in the Cup final.

“To be honest, I kind of expected (to be traded),” said Tatar. “We were not going to make the playoffs in Detroit for the second time in a row after 25 years … people were not used to it. They were in rebuilding mode. It was the first trade for me. It was a great experience when I’m looking back. We went all the way to the Cup final. We were this close to making it all the way. Great experience. We had a lot of fun.”

JACKETS SCOOP ANOTHER SENATOR

This is what going all in looks like.

A day after acquiring Matt Duchene, the Blue Jackets poached his teammate, Ryan Dzingel, from the Senators (along with a seventh-round pick) in exchange for a package that included Anthony Duclair and a pair of second-round picks.

It’s doubtful that Columbus will go for the hat trick and try and get Mark Stone. But in Duchene and Dzingel, it’s clear that the Blue Jackets — who could end up losing forward Artemi Panarin and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky in the summer to free agency — are in it to win it this year.

The question is whether Duchene and Dzingel are also heading out of Columbus after the season.

If you had to choose between the two, Dzingel might be the better bang for the buck.

For one, he’s having a career year, with 22 goals and 44 points in 57 games (he scored 23 goals and 41 points in 79 games last season). And though he’s due for a significant raise from the $1.8-million he’s earning this year, he will certainly be cheaper than Duchene.

Then again, maybe Columbus doubles down and keeps them both.

STARS PICK UP ZUCCARELLO

The Dallas Stars, who had a one-point cushion on a wild card spot heading into Saturday night, added some insurance by acquiring Mats Zuccarello from the New York Rangers in exchange for a conditional second-round pick in 2019 and a third-round pick in 2020. The second-rounder becomes a first if Dallas advances to the conference final, while the third upgrades to a first if Zuccarello re-signs with the Stars.

Though Zuccarello and Adam McQuaid wisely sat out Saturday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, Chris Kreider remained in the Rangers lineup despite rumours that the Maple Leafs were interested in his services.

Whether that means he is off the market is not yet known. But the fact that he scored a goal and an assist in the 5-2 win certainly didn’t hurt his value.

Unlike Philadelphia’s Wayne Simmonds or Carolina’s Micheal Ferland, Kreider would be attractive to teams looking to add a physical edge for the playoffs. But unlike those two other rental players, the Rangers forward has another year at $4.6-million remaining on his contract, making him even more attractive.

BRASSARD SITS, WAITS

With Winnipeg and Nashville among the teams looking for a No. 2 centre, the Panthers sat out Derick Brassard for Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings. Brassard, who was traded from Pittsburgh to Florida earlier this month, only scored 12 goals and 23 points in a combined 54 games with the Penguins. But that was in a third-line role, where he averaged two less minutes in ice time.

It’s believed that he could get back to the 18 goals he scored in 58 games with the Senators if his role and responsibility were increased.

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